Electrically operated time switch



Dec. 4, 1962 D. ROSE 3,067,298

ELECTRICALLY OPERATED TIME SWITCH Filed Feb. 23, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR DONA 1.0 I? 05 E ATTORNEY! Dec. 4, 1962 D. ROSE 3,067,298

ELECTRICALLY OPERATED TIME SWITCH Filed Feb. 23, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR DONALD ROSE ATTORNEYS United States Patent Q 3,067,298 ELECTRECALLY OPERATED Tit/1E @WH'EQ Donald Rose, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to Water in This invention is direct'edto improvements in an electric timer and its actuation or switches.

It is an object of "the invention to provide electric motor driven timedcam disks having cut out sections therein which align to permit a switch actuating finger to swing therein.

Another object of the invention is to provide electric motor driven timed cam disks having cut out sections therein, one "disk driven at one rotation per hour and the other atone rotation perd'ay, the disk rotating once each day having a lug thereon to rotate once each day a star wheel having movable pins thereon, the sectors :in the disks aligning to permit swing movement of a switch actuating finger and the star wheel pins when positioned causing a third cam means to selectively release the finger toswing in said cut out sectors.

A further ofb'ectoi the invention is to provide a motor driven pair of adjacently mounted cam disks on a comrnon axis, each camdisk having a cut out section therein that may be brought into alignment with the other cut out section of the other disk, one disk having a lug thereon for operating an escapement star wheel which permits a switch arm to swing into the aligned slots for a set condition of the star wheel.

A still further object of the invention is to provide in an electrically operated time switch a pair of cam disks with valignable cut .outs therein to permit a switch finger to swing therein and .a motor drive for rotating one'dis'k'once per hour and the other disk once per day, the disk rotatable once per day having a time of day 'dial relatively rotatable there against for setting the time 'of day the switch is to be actuated and a knob means on the day disk for setting the time of day dial to the particular time of day.

'Still further objects and the entire scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. it should be understood, however, that the detailed description and the specific example is given by way of illustration only and, while indicating preferred embodiment of the invention, is not given by way of limitation, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the time switch with top cover lifted;

"F182 is a top plan view of the time switch with the top cover broken away to show the day of the week progr m mechanism;

FIG. .3 is an exploded view of the drive motor, camming and setting jm'echanism;

FIG. 4is an elevational view of the day of the week program mechanism, along line 4-4 of FIG. 3 on an enlarged scale;

FIG. '5 is a rear elevational view on an enlarged scale of the cammingassembly and -its drive without the electric motor; I

FIG. 6.is a top .plan view of FIG. 5 of the camming assembly and its'drive with the electric motor attached;

FIG. 7 is a top plan view on an enlarged scale of a time switch with the day of week and camming mecha- 'ni-s-m for the switch shown in open position;

FIG. 8 is a top plan view similar to that of H6. 7

ice

with the camming mechanism for the switch shown sed position; and 9 is a fragmentary view along lines 9-9 of showing the day of the week mechanism and its cramming mechanism for the switch.

Throughout the description like reference numbers refer to similar parts.

The electric timer is generally indicated at 19 having a housing ll of rectangular box-like shape moulded from plastic material. Within this housing 11 is mounted the mernanism shown in the exploded view in FIG. 3.

The clock is a 24 hour clock as shown by the face or dial 1?. which has the day time hours in the lighter portion and the night time hours in the shaded portion.

An electric switch 13 of a conventional type is shown in FIGURES 2, 7 and 8 as a micro-switch type having an insulated mountin strip 14 by which screws 15 mount it to the housing 31'. A fixed contact is at 16 while a movable contact 17 is mounted on an integral pair of spaced apart, one above the other, arms 13 having an integral leaf spring biasing means 19 disposed therebetween. A back stop is provided at 17:; for movable contact 1'7. The opposite end of a lever from contact it? has an end portion that joins the pair of arms 18 and is slidably received over and pivoted to the end of a finger lever 2i and Zita. The finger lever 20 has a bent intermediate portion 2% that is pivotally supported in a slotted post 21. Post 21 is provided with a second slot spaced below the one receiving lever 20 and this second slot receives the end of spring portion 19. Post 21 has a terminal portion 21a extending to the rear and through insulation mounting strip 14. Contact 16 has a similar terminal and it is to these terminals that circuit leads are further connected which circuits are controlled by the electric timers. A movement of the finger counter clockwise as shown in FIG. 8 permits the movable contact 17 to close on the fixed contact to. Two or three of these switches 13 may be mounted vertically above each other as shown by the mountings in PEG. 9 where the fingers 2 t) protrude through vertically spaced apart slots 24a in a partition 24 which is a part of the housing ii.

A portion of the travel of the finger Ed is controlled by a bell-crank lever 22 shown best in FIG. 3. Lever 22 has a pair of spaced vertically apart arms 22a which are apertured at 221; to receive a mounting post 23 that mounts them to slotted partition 24 of insulation material, see FIG. 9. The arms 22a are connected together at their rear ends by a vertical cam member 220 which acts as the portion of the bell crank lever 22 that acts on the intermediate portion of the fingers 29 to permit them to move a preliminary amount in their actuating travel movement.

The bell-crank lever 22 is biased in the clockwise direction as shown by a tension spring 23a secured to arm 22a at one end and to the housing 11 at its other end. The calender pin wheel or day of the week program wheel is generally indicated at 25 and the vertically movable pins 26 therein, one for each day of the week, act on arm 22d to rotate the arm 22d counter-clockwise as shown in PEG. 7 wherein the bar or arm 22c strikes the intermediate portion of finger 22 and does not let it fully move as shown in FIG. -8. The pin wheel -25 is mounted on top of the partition member 24, see FIG. 9, by a vertically extending pin 27 on which it is held by a snap ring 27a.

The control of the balance or final movement of the fingers it) to the counterclockwise position, see FIG. 8, is by means or" a first disk-like cam member 2S and a second disk-like cam member 29.

Cam 23 is connected on a short hollow shaft 30 mounted in frame work 31 and having a gear 32 which is driven by a gear 33 on the motor mechanism generally l out indicated at M. This cam disk 28 is rotated once each hour. Cam disk 29 is mounted on a shaft 34 which extends concentrically within hollow shaft 3t? and is supported at its inner end in a bearing 35 mounted in the frame work 31. A drive gear 36 is attached to the inner end of shaft 34 adjacent bearing 35 and within the framework 31 and it is driven by a gear 37 on the motor mechanism M. The cam disk 29 rotates once each 24 hours.

Cam disk 29, the second cam disk, is formed with a cut out or slotted segment 29a extending from the periphery to the central portion as indicated at 2979. Both of the cam disks 2% and 29 and the day dial or dial face 12 retate counter clockwise as shown in FIG. 3. The trailing edge, camming edge of the slot 29a as indicated 29c, is on a particular slant so that the outer portions of the fingers 20 as act thereon will actuate at different lagging times since the fingers are mounted vertically in line and the camming edge 290 is at a particularly selected angle, not necessarily a radial line of the cam disk. The lower finger 20, shown in FIG. 9, will be the first to move in the clockwise direction shown in FIGURES 7 and 8. Cam disk 29 is also formed with a radial extending lug 29d which is in line to strike behind and rotate one step one of the seven protruding lugs 25a of the pin wheel 25. When this stepping of the wheel 25 takes place once each day one of the paths of the pins 26, which is two pins back counter clockwise, strikes if the pin is pushed down the arm 22d and rotates the arm counter clockwise. This rotation counter clockwise of arm 22d is shown in FIG. 7 and the actuating portion 220 acts on the intermediate portion of fingers 2% to prevent its rotation counter clockwise. If a pin 26 is pulled up the converse is true and the arm 22d is permitted to rotate counter-clockwise under the influence of spring 23a to the position shown in FIG. 8 if the first cam disk 28 is in the proper position. It will be observed in FIG. 9 that the arm 22d is mounted to move in a path under the pin wheel 25 and to strike a pin 26 if it is pushed down to full down position. Suitable springs are mounted in each aperture housing a pin to hold it in selected position.

The structure and action of the first cam disk 23 will now be described. It will be observed that a slot way must be present in disk 28 to permit finger 20 to move all the Way to cause contact 17 to close on fixed contact 16. The disk 28 is best shown in FIG. 5. A segmented slot 28a is cut out of disk 28 and it has an inboard edge or center hub edge 28b. The camming edges of the slot 28a are formed at 28c1 and 28c-2 and there are slant edges one spaced arcuately and in somewhat radial relationship to the other. The camming edges 28c1 and 28c-2 are formed so as to be in the paths of the respective fingers 20, see FIG. 9. Thus, as the disk 23 rotates clockwise, as shown in FIG. 5, the ends of the fingers 20 ride on the planar surface of the disk 28 until they come to the respective camming edges 28c-1 and 230-2. It is possible to cut out the slot 23a by moving the edge 28c inward toward the center and to form additional camming edges such as 28c-1 and 230-2 if more than two such switches 13 are to be accommodated.

In the rotating action of the wheel 25 there is a spring finger 25b anchored to the casing 11, see FIG. 2, that acts as a stop by having its end portion 25b bent so as to abut behind the finger or lugs 25a on the wheel to prevent reverse rotation of the wheel.

The frame 31 as shown in FIG. does not have in this figure the motor M mounted thereon. The slot 31:: therein leading to an edge is to receive the gear shaft 33a that mounts gears 33 and 37 as shown in FIG. 6. The corner parts of the frame 31 at 31b are internally threaded to receive mounting screws which hold the frame in the housing 11. The apertures 31b in the frame 31 are threaded and serve to receive screws 310 that mount the motor mechanism M.

In the construction of the second cam disk 29, there is formed thereon a protruding lug 29c which projects from its front face at the center. The central shaft 34 extends through this lug 29.2 and is internally drilled and threaded to receive a securing screw 33, see FIGURES 1 and 3. The lug 29s is formed with an off center slot 29f therein in its face to receive certain aligning pins 390 (not showing) in the regeneration indicator knob 39. The knob 39 may be a moulded member of plastic material and it has a hollow radial lug portion 3%, termed a pointer indicator window as it houses the pointer ridge 3911 therein.

The housing 11 shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 has a recess 4 extending in from the face 11a and this recess joins with a small recess therebehind (not shown) which receives therethrough from the front the motor M that protrudes within the housing to the rear portion thereof and to the rear of the smaller recess that receives the frame work 31. The front recess 40 receives the cam disks 28 and 29, see FIG. 3, the spring 42 over lug 292, the dial face 12 whose center 12a is also received over the lug 29a and the knob 39 which is secured on the lug 29s by the screw 39. The front 11a has a protruding annular rim 11b with a time of day pointer 45 at the top.

In FIGURES 1 and 2, the housing 11 is shown to have a recess 43 that receives atop 44. The recess 44 has connected therewith a further cavity 46 within which is received the fitting member 24.

Setting the Timer This timer is particularly useful for operating a water softener system for a period during a selected day or days of a week. It may equally as well be adapted and arranged to open and close electrical circuit for other purposes.

The hour of day that the timer is desired to work is selected. To set, depress face 12 slightly against spring 42 back from regeneration knob 39 and rotate until desired time is showing in indicator window 39a at pointer 39b.

Next set the time of day by rotating knob 39 counterclockwise and as this takes place the dial 12 also rotates with knob 39. The knob 39 is rotated until the time of day on the face or dial 12 appears under time of day pointer 45.

In order to select the number of times per week that it is desired that the switch work for the time of day or night set, lift the top or lid 44 to expose the pin or star wheel 25. Rotate the wheel 25 clockwise until present day of week is in line with arrow 45. Lift each day pin 26 to highest position on days the timer is to operate. Each of the pins 26 has the day of the week imprinted on its top. It is important that the day pins 26 be down for the days that the timer is not to operate or the days that regeneration is not to take place if it is used with a water softener system.

Operation When the electric motor M is connected in to a power source through its power leads m1 and m2, the gear train in the cage or frame 31 is motivated. The first cam disk 28 rotates once per hour and the second cam disk rotates once each day. The preliminary positioning of the finger 20 of each switch 13 is accomplished by cam disk 28 and the end of finger 20 is released by the particular cam edge 28c-1 or 28c-2. If the particular day is present for the switch to operate, then the second cam disk 29 will be in position with its lug 29d tripping the star wheel 25 from position in FIG. 7 to the position in FIG. 8. At this time the slot 29a of cam disk 29 will be in position and in line with slot 28:: of disk 28 and arm 22c will have moved as shown in FIG. 8 so that finger 20 may drop through both slots 28a and 29a and switch 13 will be actuated.

As the clock continues to run, the cam disks will rotate and the cam disk 28 with its camming rear edge 28d lifting the end of finger 20 and tripping the switch 13 to open its contacts in a micro-switch movement fashion.

Very accurate and reliable timing and control of switch action is obtainable. The arcuate spacing between cam edges Zfic-1 and 2&4 provides the timing difference between the actuation to closed position of the two switches shown. As to opening of the switches this takes place in spaced time relation wherein the cam edges 28d lift the fingers out of slot 29a and cause them to close the contacts. Since the fingers of the switches 13 are arranged in a vertical plane and since the cam edge 28d is on a slant to the vertical as it sweeps around in the rotary action of cam disk 28, the lowermost finger will be lifter ahead of the next upper finger. Thus it is seen that the timer may have set up different time lags in the actuation to open and closed position of the switches 13 by chang ing the direction of slant of the edges 28c-1, 280-2, 280?, 29c and 29d and in the case of the edges 280-1 and 28c-2 the arcuate spacing therebetween. Other variations may also be made as separate cam edges may be provided at 28d and 29d.

I claim as my invention:

1. An electric timer for opening and closing a switch having an actuating finger for closing the switch when swung in one direction and opening the switch when swung in the reverse direction comprising, in combination, with said switch and its actuating finger, a first cam disk for engagement of said finger and having a segment camming slot cut out therein, permitting said finger to swing into the slot when the disk is rotated thereby, a second cam disk adjacent said first cam disk and having a segmental camming slot therein brought into alignment with the first mentioned slot when the second cam disk is rotated, said second mentioned slot also permitting said finger to further swing in the slots, said first cam disk when rotated rotating its camming slot to a position where an edge of the slot contacts said finger and swings it in the reverse direction, said second cam disk when rotated so said slots are not aligned preventing said finger from completing its swing in said one direction, means for rotating said first cam disk once per hour and means for rotating said second cam disk once per day, said second cam disk having a lug extending from the periphery thereof, a star wheel having adjustably positioned pin means representing each day of the week, said star wheel being associated with said second cam disk and the lug thereon for rotation one step by contact of said lug on each rotation of the second cam disk, said pin means being movable to an operative and an inoperative position, a third cam means for the finger of said switch, said third cam means having contact with said finger in one position to prevent swing of said finger from within said slot of the first cam disk to said slot in the second cam disk, said third cam means having a finger thereon positioned for contact by the pin means on said star wheel when set to contact the third cam finger whereby said pin means selectively releases said finger on the third cam means and said third cam means releases said finger on the switch for swing into said slot in the second cam disk.

2. An electric timer for opening and closing a switch according to claim 1 wherein said means for rotating said cam disks is an electric motor having geared drives for each cam disk and including a housing means mounting said timer mechanism and having a reference point thereon, said second cam disk having an axially disposed lug projecting therefrom, a time of day dial plate frictionally received over said axial projecting lug, a knob attachable to said axial lug to rotate therewith and having a reference point thereon whereby the time of day dial may be rotated with respect to the axial lug to set the time of day for switch actuation adjacent said reference point on the knob, said cam disks and said dial therewith to set the actual time of day on said dial adjacent said reference point on said housing.

3. An electric timer for opening and closing a switch having an actuating finger for closing the switch when swung in one direction and opening the switch when swung in the reverse direction comprising, in combination, with said switch and its actuating finger, a first cam disk having a fiat face and positioned with respect to said finger for engagement by said finger on the fiat face thereof and having a segmental camming slot cut out extending therethrough permitting said finger to swing into the slot when the disk is rotated thereby, a second cam disk having a fiat face and positioned adjacent said first cam disk and said finger for engagement of the finger with the flat face thereof and having a segmental camming slot therein brought into alignment with the first mentioned slot when the second cam disk is rotated, said second mentioned slot permitting said finger to (further swing in the slots, said first cam disk when rotated rotating its carnming slot to aposition where an edge of the slot contacts said finger and swings it in the reverse direction, said second cam disk when rotated so said slots are not aligned preventing said finger from completing its swing in said one direction and means for rotating said first cam disk once per hour and means for rotating said second cam disk once per day.

4. An electric timer for opening and closing a switch having finger means closing a circuit when swung in one direction and opening a circuit when swung in the reverse direction comprising, in combination, with said switch and its finger means, a first cam disk having a fiat face and positioned with respect to said finger means for engagement by said finger means on the flat face thereof and having a segmental camming slot cut out extending therethrough permitting said finger means to swing into the slot when the disk is rotated thereby, a second cam disk having a fiat face and positioned adjacent said first cam disk and said finger means for engagement of the finger means with the flat face thereof and having a segmental camming slot therein brought into alignment with the first mentioned slot when the second cam disk is rotated, said second mentioned slot also permitting said finger means to further swing in the slots, said first cam disk when rotated rotating its camming slot to a position where an edge of the slot contacts said finger and swings it in the reverse direction, said second cam disk when rotated so said slots are out of alignment preventing said finger means from completing its swing in said one direction and means for rotating said first cam disk once per hour and means for rotating said second cam disk once per day.

5. An electric timer for opening and closing a switch having finger means closing a circuit when swung in one direction and opening a circuit when swung in the re verse direction comprising, in combination, with said switch and its finger means, a first cam disk for engagement by said finger means and having a segmental camming slot cut out therein permitting said finger means to swing into the slot when the disk is rotated thereby, a second cam disk adjacent said first cam disk and having a segmental camming slot therein brought into alignment with the first mentioned slot when the second cam disk is rotated, said second mentioned slot also permitting said finger means to further swing in the slots, said first cam disk when rotated rotating its camming slot to a position where an edge of the slot contacts said finger and swings it in the reverse direction, said second cam disk when rotated so said slots are out of alignment preventing said finger means from completing its swing in said one direction and means for rotating said first cam disk once per hour and means for rotating said second cam disk once per day, said second cam disk having a lug projecting therefrom, a star wheel having adjustably positioned pin means representing each day of the week, said star wheel being associated with said second cam disk and the lug thereon for rotation one step by contact of the star wheel with said lug on each rotation of the second cam disk, said pin means being movable to an operative and an inoperative position, a third cam means for the finger means, said third cam means having contact with said finger in one position to prevent swing of said finger from within said slot of the first cam disk to said slot in the second cam disk, said third cam means having a lever arm thereon positioned for contact by the pin means on said star wheel when set to contact said lever arm to rotate said third cam means whereby said pin means selectively releases said lever on the third cam means and said third cam means releases said finger means of the switch for swing into said slot in the second cam diskv 6. An electric timer for opening and closing a switch according to claim 5 wherein said means for rotating said cam disks is an electric motor having geared drives for each cam disk and including a housing means mounting said timer mechanism and having a reference point thereon, said second cam disk having an axially disposed lug projecting therefrom, a time of day dial plate frictionally 0 received over said axial projecting lug, a knob attachable to said axial lug to rotate therewith and having a reference point thereon whereby the time of day dial may be rotated with respect to the axial lug to set the time of day for switch actuation adjacent said reference point on the knob, said knob being rotatable to rotate said cam disks and said dial therewith to set the actual time of day on said dial adjacent said reference point on said housing.

References (Jilted in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,424,116 Puerner July 15, 1947 

